A cellular communication system is a radio communication system which has been installed throughout large geographical areas and which communicates with different types of networks of different subscribers. For exchange of payload and signaling data between cellular communication system and other networks are several interfaces in use.
Advancements in communication technologies have permitted the development and construction of successive generations of cellular communication systems with, generally, an increasing array of communication services available to subscribers to the systems.
A cellular communication system includes an Radio Access Network having base transceiver stations. An base station includes, for instance, several modules containing different transmission interface devices for communication with other networks and at least a router. Conventionally, several backplane connections interconnect the elemental devices of the base station to transmit payload-controlling and management data between the devices. The transmission interface device comprises an interface converter having external ports to which data is applied. Data generated external to the elemental devices and applied thereto as well as data generated internal to the elemental devices might need to be communicated between the elemental devices. Both the externally-generated data like payload from and to a user terminal and the internally-generated data, such as data used for management purposes, have to be exchanged between the devices of the network element. When a common interface is used for all kinds of data, each of the elemental devices must be able to determine whether the data transmitted via common interface is externally-generated data or internally-generated data. While proprietary interfaces and protocols can be provided by which to facilitate the determination, such use typically would increase the cost and complexity of the system. The use, instead, of a common standard protocol and interfaces would be preferable.
More generally, communications between any two devices interconnected by way of a common connection would analogously benefit if a standard protocol could be used to distinguish between internally-generated and externally-generated data forming a frame communicated between the separate devices.
A manner, using a standard protocol, by which to identify the origin of the data contained in the frame is, therefore, needed.
Network elements also sometimes utilize redundant elemental devices when operations performed at such units are essential for element operation. Intelligent routers in network elements, for instance, are essential to operation of the network element, such as a base station, and are installed in the network element. In the event of failure of a primary router, an alternate router is used to perform the operations normally performed by the primary router. Thereby, operation of the network continues. The term “protection” is sometimes utilized to indicate that a telecommunication service is ensured to continue even if a portion of the network at which the service is to be effectuated is not working properly. Use of redundant components, such as a redundant router, provides such protection.
Equipment protection treats defects that are localized in a node. The use of redundant, spare circuitry, compensates for, or replaces, failed components and protect equipment.
Network elements operable in a telecommunication network are constructed to meet operational standards, defined in terms of availability and mean time between failures. The requirements are generally fairly strict. For instance, network operators of public networks regularly require system availability around 99.99 percent of the time. The use of redundant devices is used to fulfill such requirements. One elemental device, referred to as an active device, is normally working, and another device, referred to as a redundant device, merely controls, or monitors, the active device while the active device is operable. If the redundant device unit determines that the active device is not working well enough, the redundant device becomes the active device and takes over the functionality of the active unit. Protection switching is involved in the changeover of operations from the active device to the redundant device. Protection switching occurs, normally, very quickly and does not have any impact on the overall functionality of the functional operations performed by the active and redundant devices. Conventionally, physically-separated signaling cables are used with the active and redundant devices. However, the use of such separate cables, in addition to an payload link, or other network path, increases hardware costs as a result of use of a non-standardized connecting device, and associated implementing apparatus.
A manner, using a common linking means for any kind of communication between the devices of a network element would be advantageous.
It is in light of this background information related to the communication of data that the significant improvements of the present invention have evolved.